The State Senate today passed a transportation bill that reorganizes the transportation system in Massachusetts by a vote of 39-1. It culminates a long process of give and take over the shape of the bill, and now throws the ball into the court of the House of Representatives. From the Boston Globe:

The bill calls for current transportation agencies to be reorganized. A Massachusetts Surface Transportation Agency would be created, with two divisions. The Roads and Bridges Division would assume the duties of MassHighway, the Turnpike Authority, the Tobin Bridge, and Department of Conservation and Recreation parkways and bridges; the Public Transit Division would assume the duties of the MBTA and provide regional transit authorities with central oversight and funding, Murray’s office said.

The bill slso took aim at some of the benefit packages currently enjoyed by T employees.

The Senate’s bill shares some similarities with Patrick’s restructuring proposal. Both, for example, would reduce fringe benefits for transit workers, now some of the most generous perks in the country. The bill would eliminate newly hired transit workers’ ability to retire after 23 years, regardless of age, with pensions. They would instead need to reach the age of 55 and work at least 25 years at the MBTA, the same rules that apply to other state workers. The bill would also put their healthcare costs closer in line with other state workers, a change that would save an estimated $50 million a year.

Senate President Therese Murray issued a statement upon success.

“This is an important piece of legislation for the Commonwealth,” Senate President Therese Murray said in a statement. “We need to consolidate and restructure first so we don’t throw money into a broken system that no one has confidence in anymore.”

On to the House, where leadership has promised to put its own stamp on this bill. Victory to Senate President Therese Murray and Senate Transportation Chair Steven Baddour, who have forced the issue of reforms to the forefront, leaving revenues to a later date. Maybe I was not listening in the right places but I did not hear a whole lot of public complaining about the bill from organized labor. I know that they cannot be happy about bill provisions that modify contractual rights without bargaining. But that handwriting has been on the wall for some time.